The Cicatricial Alopecia Research Symposium hosted by Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine (SOM) has become the premier forum for presentation and discussion of the most recent advances in cicatricial alopecia research and clinical practice. This conference is attended by the foremost international scientists interested in cutaneous biology and disease, as well as by more junior investigators, postdoctoral fellows, students, and scientists from industry. The focus of the 2011 symposium is lipids, inflammation and stem cells - factors that impact disease pathogenesis in cicatricial alopecia and is the 2nd research symposium on cicatricial alopecia to be hosted by CWRU SOM. The very successful cicatricial alopecia research colloquium hosted by CWRU SOM on 17 October 2005 at the National Institutes of Health campus served as an impetus for implementing novel ideas in cicatricial alopecia basic research and clinical practice. The attendance varied between about 80 and 100 with substantial national and international representation. The research momentum generated in the last five years has led to the planning of the current symposium that will bring together hair biologists, stem cell biologists, environmental toxicologists, immunologists, dermatologists, and hair transplant surgeons in their common pursuit of a deeper understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of cicatricial alopecia. Cicatricial or scarring alopecia are a group of inflammatory disorders characterized by permanent destruction of the pilosebaceous units leading to irreversible hair loss. Apart from the permanent loss of hair, patients are plagued by misdiagnosis, limited treatment options, psychological stress induced by asymmetrical involvement and severe itching and pain. These disorders represent a particular challenge. They are rare, neglected and much remains to be learned about the etiology and disease pathogenesis. They lie at the interface between diverse scientific disciplines (environmental toxicology, immunology, lipid metabolism, hair biology, and stem cell biology) and the insight provided by these disciplines combine to make this disease a model system for the study of diseases characterized by inflammatory attack on epithelial stem cell populations. A multidisciplinary discussion from thought leaders in diverse fields is clearly needed to study this neglected group of rare diseases. The program for the 2011 symposium provides a strong emphasis on three major thematic areas 1) inflammation and inflammatory cells that target the hair follicle, 2) the role of nuclear receptors and lipids in skin and hair biology, and 3) importance and fate of hair follicle stem cells in hair biology and in cicatricial alopecia. Each of the themes will have two sessions - the first focused on mechanisms and basic research of lipids, inflammation or stem cells, and the second, focused on the application of these themes to the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and novel treatments for cicatricial alopecia. We will highlight submitted abstracts in a poster session with ample time for discussion and the best abstracts will be selected for oral presentation to ensure that the program reflects exciting new topics that emerge between submission of this application and the meeting. We will focus on identifying novel translational opportunities and comparative efficacy studies for cicatricial alopecia. The Cicatricial Alopecia Workshop and Breakout sessions on "New Research Directions, Novel Surrogate Markers &Therapeutic Strategies" planned for the second day are likely to be of interest to a diverse group of scientists and clinicians and of general significance to human health and disease. We aim to: 1) define the most important problems and opportunities in cicatricial alopecia research and clinical practice by facilitating interactions and discussion among scientists and clinicians working in this area as well as leaders in other scientific areas;2) encourage the development of new investigators, particularly M.D. and Ph.D. students, residents and post-doctoral fellows including members of racial/ethnic minority groups. To accomplish these aims, the 2011 symposium will bring together an international cadre of participants including scientists from the academia, industry, clinicians and basic researchers, young scientists and senior scientists, molecular biologists, immunologists, pathologists and dermatologists in an atmosphere conducive to the free exchange of ideas. "Young Investigator Awards" will be given to the most promising graduate student and postdoctoral fellows and we will offer travel scholarships to outstanding minority applicants. The symposium will facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between laboratory and clinical researchers to accelerate the translation of basic scientific discoveries into clinical applications. Advances in research are rapidly evolving and it is difficult for anyone to keep abreast of all the developments in all fields. A symposium brings together experts from different disciplines that can talk, discuss and work towards a common goal - understanding and eventually finding a cure for cicatricial alopecia and other inflammatory skin diseases. The specific goals of this proposal are to generate funds to support Young Investigator Awards, and the travel, registration for session chairs and invited speakers. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Cicatricial Alopecia Research Symposium, to be held October 27-28, 2011 at Bethesda, Maryland will focus on presenting novel information at the frontiers of lipids, inflammation and stem cell research that can shed new light on the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis for cicatricial or scarring alopecia. The symposium, hosted by Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, will define the most important problems in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and determine how the latest research insights can be translated into potential new therapeutic strategies with the goal of further improving patient care. We will aim to facilitate interactions and discussion between scientists from industry and academia, health professionals, residents, students and postdoctoral fellows. We anticipate that this symposium will again foster extensive discussion and debate and will significantly steer the directions taken in basic and clinical research in inflammatory dermatoses. Our overall goal is to integrate cicatricial alopecia-centric investigations with emerging research areas in order to stimulate progress at the forefront of cutaneous biology, and to promote the development of novel therapeutic approaches for diseases characterized by inflammatory attack on epithelial stem cell populations. Enthusiasm is already high among potential participants. The topics are programmatically relevant to several NIH institutes, including NIAMS, NIAID, NIEHS and the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR). A symposium brings together experts from different disciplines that can talk, discuss and work towards a common goal - understanding and eventually finding a cure for cicatricial alopecia and other inflammatory skin diseases. The time is ripe for bringing national/international attention to this clinically challenging and biologically fascinating group of hair diseases.